Friday, August 01, 2014

As the late great Mr. Sammy Davis Jr. once reminded us, "keep your eye on the sparrow."

But if Sammy Davis Jr. had ever lived in Gotham City...

Okay, okay, point taken. Because Sammy Davis Jr. lived in Gotham City, he ought to have sung "keep your eye on the Batman." Because you know the moment you turn your back, for even just one glance at the rainswept city reflected in a moody noir fashion in your glasses, Batman will disappear on you.

What can we take from this? First, Batman does not enjoy long goodbyes. Second, Batman is the World's Greatest Escape Artist, because there's no conversation he can't slip away from surreptitiously.

That's what August is all about. This month, all month, it's a celebration of Batman's Great Escapes, all those times he didn't stick around to hear the parting words of Commissioner Gordon (or, indeed, pretty much anybody else). If you've ever wanted to get out of a phone conversation by shooting the receiver and muttering "boring conversation anyway," take a tip from the Caped Crusader and learn, every day in August, how Batman is here today and gone today!